There have been several attempts to design an area/device wherein a person or people may, by moving within this area in certain ways, cause a sound system to generate various sounds. Some of these attempts include setting up various electromagnetic beams/patterns in the area whereby movement of a person/people interferes with these beams/patterns and causes sound generation. However, sound generation has typically been controlled by such systems in either of two ways.
One sound generation control system used in the prior art monitors a performer's movements and consistently generates exactly the same sound or sounds every time a specific movement occurs. With such systems, even slight movement variations can cause undesirable changes in pitch, tone, volume, or the like. While such systems permit a highly-trained person to “play” the system and generate exactly certain sounds at each “performance” in a more-or-less “professional” manner, these systems are not likely to produce pleasing or entertaining sounds or results if a novice attempts to perform on them.
A second sound generation control method has focused on the “power” given, say, to children in a museum setting to produce, for example, sounds by “playing” randomly in a designated area, thus permitting them to play and experiment but with little heed given to production of pleasing sounds.
Additionally, such prior art systems generally comprise relatively large areas around which are placed the light beams used for playing music or producing sounds. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,896 by Hiyosji; U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,810 by Dow; U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,687 by Gurner; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,770 by Sigalov, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The light beams in such prior art systems generally are substantially vertical in orientation, or are arranged such that the triggering motion is substantially horizontal. Such prior art systems are also relatively large and cage-like. Thus, a player of such systems must run, jump, etc. as in Hiyosji, and/or trigger a cage of vertical beams as in Sigalov.
Furthermore, such systems generally require that the beam or sensor have interaction with either a substantial part of the user's body, or at least that the beam or sensor be interrupted by an arm or a full hand. Thus, such systems also require relatively gross movements for their operation. Such systems therefore are not adapted for fine, precise, and economical user movements. Moreover, such systems are generally fairly large and require permanent or semi-permanent installations. While permanent installation is certainly desirable in many cases, equally desirable is a portable system which even a single person may disassemble, move, and re-assemble quickly and with little effort.